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 is the author and business leader behind the Seventh Level Engagement Framework, which has transformed how we measure learning success and is taught in MBA programs worldwide. 

The increasing popularity of hybrid and remote work has changed the way organizations function. Throughout my career, I've worked with startups, Fortune 100 companies, and nonprofits across industries, and I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges of managing distribute teams and maintaining engagement.

, which helps organizations authentically and meaningfully connect with their employees, particularly in a hybrid/remote environment. Here, I share my personal experiences and insights on what has worked for me and my teams in mixed work settings, drawing on my extensive experience across industries.

Level One: Determine Preferred Communication Methods

In a virtual-heavy environment, it's essential to establish how each team member prefers to be communicated with, whether it's through texting, Slack messaging, or phone calls. This can help reduce disengagement and ensure smoother communication.

Level Two: Ensure Clarity and Prevent Confusion

Messaging apps like Slack can be fantastic for productivity, but also create opportunities for miscommunication. Make sure to find the best use for different tools and avoid the temptation to misuse them. For important discussions, schedule a Zoom meeting or at least make a phone call to prevent misunderstandings.

Hybrid work can come with its fair share of distractions. Encourage employees to create a designated workspace and establish routines to stay focused and productive throughout the day.

The Seventh Level Engagement Framework helps organizations authentically and meaningfully connect with their employees.

Help your team members set goals and priorities to ensure tasks are completed efficiently. Establish regular check-ins and provide the necessary resources and support to empower them to work effectively.

Encourage your team to set boundaries between work and personal life, taking breaks and practicing self-care. This helps prevent burnout and maintain overall wellbeing.

Building employee engagement with even partially remote teams is a challenge. At this level, leaders inspire their team members to set goals that will make a difference in their lives. Create a space that gives employees a chance to share their thoughts on improving the company and inspire them to set goals for themselves and the organization.

Level Seven: Maintain Authentic Connections

The seventh level is all about fostering authentic connections and having real talks when you can't hang out in real life. Reaching this level starts by doing the work of the previous six levels. Organizations that achieve this level enjoy higher achievement across the board, a workforce united around a mission, and a deeper level of connection with customers.

By following the Seventh Level Engagement Framework, leaders can effectively navigate the challenges of remote work and create a more connected and engaged workforce, regardless of the industry or organization size.

7 Steps to Engage Hybrid Employees 

It won’t shock you to learn there’s a massive increase in employee feelings of isolation since hybrid work has become prevalent—but a recent poll suggests that a staggering 70% of workers feel disengaged from their day-to-day roles. 

To help people leaders understand how to re-engage teams via smart investments in company culture, New Stand CEO David Garcia hosted a recent webinar on how to take your culture strategy to the next level. Here, part one of the top takeaways:


The universally accepted view of the employee lifespan is a 

, where accumulated experiences determine whether or not an employee stays at a company. But when you design a milestone-only based journey, the moments are often irregular, inconsistent, and lack context.

Instead, think about a model that reflects how people actually experience work. Everyday experiences create a baseline of satisfaction that influences those more notable moments. Not everyone feels the same about onboarding or performance reviews or happy hours. What's critical for each employee differs from person to person. 

How to improve someone's emotional state and drive deeper engagement: Care for the whole person 

Let’s take an example: Automatic is a remote-first team well-known for building connections within a globally distributed workforce. How? Structured socialization. Once a year, for instance, everyone gathers for an epic company offsite, in a single location, to share experiences together. But more importantly they focus on 

First, there are interest-based Slack channels. Second, employees can log into “open coworking calls” while working to mimic in-person serendipity. Third are randomized pair-off meetings, where two employees from different teams are paired together for social time. They also hold employee-led social calls around everything from adult coloring to DJ dance parties, and show-and-tell with employees’ kids.

Another example: Brookfield Asset Management is an in-person team. They're the world's largest owner of commercial real estate, so presence is really important for them, and they excel at creating 

. It’s proven that intentional breaks increase productivity, creativity, and help people cycle between different work modes.

Brookfield has dedicated up to 40% of its office floor plans to social space for interaction. New Stand also helps them provide structured, semi-monthly programming—food and drink tastings, team building events, company celebrations where you can meet colleagues—situations where people can have fun and engage in a light way. 

Employees are happier when they're connected to each other, and Brookfield reaps the benefits of a team that isn't burned out—

How to Upskill Your Culture Strategy

In the same way that writing a thank you note always feels a little harder than it should be, finding the correct and most genuine way to communicate praise to your direct report or team as a whole can feel a little challenging. But it’s not something you can ignore—recognition goes a long way towards improving employee 

To help make it second nature, we’ve rounded up a few key tips and 18 scripts for 

To keep praise from falling by the wayside, set yourself a regular calendar reminder or a weekly quota for noting key efforts and wins on your team. Incorporating a set time for employee recognition in your weekly all hands or one-on-ones is another solid way to ensure you’re getting your message across.

For some people, being praised in front of a group is actually mortifying. Don’t be shy about checking in with your team on how they like to be recognized. Instead of blushing during the company-wide Zoom, certain people may prefer a good old card, email, or even a 

. A virtual thank you note paired with a 

 can make someone feel as warm and fuzzy as an on-the-spot shout-out.

While a general “great job” is better than nothing, highlighting what made their work so successful can not only make someone feel great, it can also go a long way towards helping them ID their strengths. From the top, it can feel obvious to you what someone excels at, but they truly might not know it about themselves! Feeling seen for a particular skill goes a long way.

Some workplaces thrive on Slack reactions and perfectly deployed memes—others, not so much. Use your discretion when giving praise, but when in doubt, always err on the side of keeping things more office-appropriate. Plus, emails can be saved by employees to refer to during performance reviews in a way that emojis cannot.

"Highlighting what made [someone's] work so successful can... go a long way towards helping them ID their strengths."

PS: You nailed that [presentation, project, etc].

Wow, great email response to [client, team member, etc]!

This [presentation, design, copy] looks beautiful.

I didn’t know how great you are at [skill] until now! Our team just leveled up.

[That thing you do/are doing] makes a big difference.

I see how much effort you’re putting into [project/task]—thank you!

Thanks for everything today, [their name]. I really appreciate it.

I’m so glad you’re part of this team.

Your positive outlook is a huge benefit to our team—I can see how it uplifts the people around you, and it goes a long way towards helping us feel like collaborators. Thanks for bringing up the team with your optimism.


That was a tough [client meeting, presentation, etc]  and you did a great job of handling it. It’s great to know I can trust you to keep your cool in those high-pressure situations.

You really brought our vision for that [project, presentation, etc] to life! It’s great to have someone on the team who can reliably take things across the finish line like that.

Huge week for the [team, department, etc]! Together we fielded [inserts specific stats or project numbers], thanks to all of your hard work and collaboration. Thank you all for doing your part!

Great problem solving on [project]! Love the solution that you came up with. I know the rest of the team is taking notes.

I just want to thank you for leading the team to this week’s win. You really went above and beyond, and those efforts have been noticed.

Your work on [program, project, skill] has come so far. It’s great to see you master new skills, and I know I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Keep up the great work!

18 Employee Recognition Scripts for a Job Well Done

Now that the dust has settled from the start of a new year, it’s a great time to pause and consider what employees really want from employers for the stretch of months ahead. It’s interesting to see that three items on this late ’22

 list are related to nontraditional work schedules, and six are about expanded, high quality healthcare coverage.

 on the subject, which lists the most desired perks as: 

four-day workweek, 401(k) matching, unlimited PTO, paid mental health days, and travel benefits

. Another key takeaway? Customizable benefit options and 

 are in demand. The report reveals that Verizon conducts quarterly surveys and reconsiders benefit plans throughout the year, to respond to employee preferences in real time.

In addition to these nuts and bolts benefits, there are also a number of newer perks making headlines—like 

 to cancel all recurring meetings of more than two people. Below, we’ve rounded up some employee-experience improvements that are already popping up in job listings and national news, trends that show no signs of waning, and employee-first policies we’re hoping to see more of in 2023.

Read on for why these top benefits and others are in demand now:

This is a biggie. The unique stresses of the past three years and the increasingly destigmatized field of mental health have empowered workers to ask for better behavioral health coverage—from designated, no-questions-asked mental health days beyond standard sick leave, to better psychology resources, to accommodations for neurodivergent employees who may need to structure work differently to make the most of their skill sets (and may include 

In news to no one, everything costs more these days. According to the 

, the all-items index rose 6.5 percent in 2022 alone. Instituting standard raises across the board to keep pace with rising costs will be key to keeping workers happy—along with acknowledging the difference between cost-of-living and merit-based pay increases. Hard truth: If a worker’s salary isn’t keeping pace with inflation, it’s effectively a pay cut.

 and SHRM reports make it clear that the era of the 9-to-5, five days a week schedule may soon be coming to an end. Enabled in part by remote work, employees and employers have seen how flexible work schedules can actually improve productivity—by 

. Self-determined hours, four-day work weeks, summer Fridays, and more personalized working styles are on track to become the rule in the workplace, not the exception.

Even as a slew of headline-making companies have attempted to force RTO mandates, workers have 

 with demands for flexible work options, a sign that hybrid work will continue to be just as popular through 2023. For many, it’s high time to instate flex work permanently.


As evidenced by Shopify’s buzzy announcement, there seems to be a groundswell of support for getting rid of time-wasting meetings. Whether it’s a group Zoom that drags on forever or an all-hands conference room meeting that ends with no clear next steps, employees have become more comfortable speaking out against time-wasters.

The unique stresses of the past three years and the increasingly destigmatized field of mental health have empowered workers to ask for better behavioral health coverage.

Whether you attribute it to Gen Z’s better boundaries or a breaking point brought around by the pandemic, the tides are turning towards better enforcement of work-life balance. While employees can take steps to enforce their on and off times in their personal lives, workplaces where leaders are modeling the same will become more and more desirable.


From gender-neutral parental leave that includes paid time off for fathers, non-binary, and adoptive or foster parents, to healthcare coverage for fertility treatments, egg freezing, and time off for miscarriage, reproductive benefits are increasingly a key issue for employees. It’s not enough to go by state laws, which often require little to no paid leave at all, and usually apply to  mothers only. 

And with last year’s fall of federal abortion rights, big-name employers like Levi Strauss and JP Morgan Chase are 

 for supporting employees who are seeking out reproductive care.

A quick perusal of job boards reveals it’s becoming standard for remote or hybrid workplaces to offer a one-time or yearly employee stipend to cover home office improvements. By giving employees cash to make the purchases that would make the biggest difference to them—a new office chair, an ergonomic keyboard, or even some plants to brighten up the place—companies are empowering workers to decide what’s best for their personal needs, and fostering mutual trust in doing so. 

As a bonus, employers can make sure remote/hybrid workers feel seen and considered in other personal-feeling ways. For example: On-demand delivery of employee gifts and care packages—such as consumable treats, quality work accessories, and “kudos” items—as well as virtual rewards, are a timely complement to the WFH movement.

7 Top Workplace Benefits for 2023

The first five minutes of a meeting can sometimes feel disorganized. As attendees trickle in, there may or may not be some stop-and-start small talk, but getting everyone to attention can be a little awkward. A trendy (and easy) tool to help everyone transition mentally: the check-in question. Setting aside the first few minutes of a meeting to check in with your colleagues can set the stage for a successful meeting by making everyone feel 

So what do you actually ask? Check-in questions can range from ice-breakers to strictly work-related to personal. What kind of meeting you’re having—and what you want to achieve with the check-in—can help you determine the question itself. 

To loosen up a group of people who don’t know each other well, a meeting leader might ask everyone to share their 5-to-9 skill (who knew Maya has a YouTube cooking show!). On the other hand, a manager conducting a 1:1 with a team member might show support by asking what the most challenging part of the week has been so far. (

There really are endless options depending on whether you want to keep it light and fun or have another objective in mind. We’ve rounded up a few in three categories of intention below: ones that help people get to know each other personally; those that help participants relate to each other through their current work-life experiences; and some that help you get right into the meeting topic. A few guidelines to consider when coming up with your own:

 Skip anything controversial, insensitive (duh), or too niche.

. You still have a meeting to get to, after all.

. No one wants to rack their brain for a “fun fact.”

Get started with some examples of good check-in questions for group meetings below.

What’s the best piece of media you’ve consumed this week?

If you had to live in a different country, where would you live and why?

Which reality TV show do you think you could win?

What are you most excited for in the next month?

If you were trapped on a deserted island, which three people would you want with you?

What’s been your biggest personal win lately?

If you had to collect something, what would it be?

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

To Foster a Shared Sense of Work-Life Experience

How busy has your week felt, on a scale of 1 to 10?

What is a recent win you’ve had at work, big or small?

What’s a challenge you’re facing at work right now?

What’s something you want to learn more about at work?

If you had to be in a different department, which one would you be in?

What is a personal goal you have at work this year?

Which coworker would you like to interview about their work?

What’s one thing you think is important for building a strong team?

Do you have a method for approaching a new challenge at work?

To Transition Right Into the Meeting Topic

What is exciting about this project for you?

Does this project remind you of anything you’ve worked on in the past?

What are your personal goals for this project?

What is one way we can improve how we’re approaching this topic?

As a team, is there anything we should start or stop doing in this project?

What do you come into this meeting knowing about this effort?

How would you measure the success of this initiative?

Are you hitting any obstacles in your work in this area?

What’s your favorite thing you’ve done on this project so far?

What soft skills of yours do you think could be useful here?

30 Check-In Questions to Start Your Next Meeting

If you're still getting back into the swing of managing a busy day outside your WFH routine, may we suggest a snack reset? Nothing improves the mood like being prepared with a really good treat at 8 am (and 11 am, and 2 pm) when you’re hustling to catch the train or to your next IRL meeting. To help you on your way, we’ve rounded up a variety of convenient, on-the-go snacks guaranteed to give you that “crossing off a to-do list” feeling.

If you’re always thinking, “Oops, forgot to eat breakfast!”

So you made it to your desk on time, but now you’re getting a feeling you forgot something extremely important. And it’s not coffee (never coffee!). Stash a bunch of OatCups in your desk drawer, and you’ll have something protein-filled, sweet, and filling enough to keep you going.

Granola you can eat by the handful, spoonful, or cupful is always a good on-the-go breakfast, especially when it’s as delicious as this one. Crunchy, salty, sweet, and pretty good for you, this morning energy boost will have you ready to face your day. (Plus, Early Bird is women- and queer-owned and operated!)

If you’re craving something mildly addictive

). Maybe it’s the spelling, or the nutritional yeast seasoning that keeps me coming back for more. All I know is that it's extremely difficult to eat less than the entire bag in one sitting, but it’s so satisfying, you won’t be trying that hard. Try their 

May I reintroduce the icon, the legend: Ms. Babybel cheese! She's truly a perfect snack—round, traffic-light red, and pre-wrapped, so you can throw one in your purse/pocket/drawer or at the head of someone you don’t like sitting in front of you in math class. (Or in a two-hour training.) Combine with pretzels or crackers, or don’t. Delicious either way.

Remember the fun of gummy worms? Now they’re better than ever: One bag of Sweet Smarts has 81% less sugar than other gummies, and no artificial sweeteners. With flavors like pink lemonade and pineapple that I don’t remember having in high school (just “red” and “green”), this adorable snack will make you feel like class just got canceled.

If you’re in dire need of an energy boost

Sometimes you need to power through a long afternoon of Zooms, get ahead on a presentation, or finally tackle your growing to-do list. These energy bars are the crunchy granola answer to your 3 pm slump. Gluten-free and filled with the good stuff, like sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds… Do I even need to tell you they’re made in Vermont?

 elevated peanut butter cups? Absolutely. Smooth and salty PB in a dark chocolate cup, these feel like a decadent treat, but with less sugar than competitors and no artificial sweeteners. Guaranteed to do the trick as a pocket-sized powerup whenever and wherever you need it.

7 Great On-the-Go Work Snacks 

Despite the current hurricane of workforce trend reporting, employee sentiment can be tough to gauge day-to-day. Vibes aren’t exactly scientific, and large-scale internal surveys can be clunky to execute. In between, informal temp checks with your team or professional circle can give perspective on how people are feeling in real time. 

Lately, we’ve been going straight to our social network for their weigh-in on workplace experience. Even these (

) polls have delivered timely micro-insights about what employees want now. Check out what they might mean below, then add your voice to the mix over on 

: Gift-giving might be the love language that matters most in the workplace. A token of your appreciation should really be a token, it seems. Words of affirmation is next in the running, so speak up when it comes to giving credit widely and often.

 Team engagement is all about face time. Most people seem to be eager to get out of their DMs and into the IRL world when it comes to connecting with coworkers. For a team that cares about each other, getting together to socialize beyond the office walls can work wonders.

Free SkinnyPop is one of our personal favorite office perks, but we have to agree that thoughtful programming, fun events, and ongoing education are big highlights, too. Per this 

, employees really appreciate opportunities to learn, grow, and engage in something new. And hey, what could be better than a company of lifelong learners?

As the sun sets on hustle culture, corporate lingo has understandably lost its cool. The 

: Why not all just say what we mean? The passivity of “let’s circle back on that” is especially eye roll-inducing. Do we really need another way to say, “No one feels like figuring this out right now, so let’s push it off to another time”?

There’s nothing worse than a passive aggressive email (though we’ve all sent a terse reply now and then). And seeing how all of the phrases in 

 seemed to hit a nerve, maybe it’s time to delete them from our vocabulary altogether. Idea for a fresh start: Extend some good faith to our colleagues and wait for it to come back around.

Our Poll Results: Employee Sentiment Now

Think back to the last time you had a win at work—big or small. Maybe you nailed a client presentation, mentored a new summer intern who’d been feeling a little overwhelmed, or navigated a particularly crazy week of meetings despite a mountain of personal commitments (or just regular life stuff!). Knowing you’re killing it at work is validating, but being recognized externally for that skill, effort, and success can be a big contributor to overall job satisfaction.

Of course, bonuses, promotions/raises, and other substantial incentives will always be appreciated. But everyday rewards matter, too. According to a 

, when employee recognition is effective, workers are five times as likely to feel connected to their company’s culture, and five times as likely to see a path to grow there. But only 23% of employees are satisfied with how much recognition they receive. So we’ve collected some of our favorite ways to show employee appreciation well—no coffee chain gift cards on the list!

If your old ways of highlighting accomplishments aren’t resonating, try shaking things up.

Your time outside work is extremely precious. Once you’re done with family and household commitments, exercise, going to those drinks you scheduled three weeks ago but now really don’t want to go to…you don’t have much time for yourself. And when work entails demanding hours and lots of meetings, every bit of free time counts. One way employers can meaningfully show appreciation is to give back some of this time—a morning off after a week of late nights, summer Fridays, or an annual Employee Appreciation Day holiday. Valuing people’s time is one of the most direct ways to show value for people, period.

We probably don’t have to sell anyone that hard on getting gifts, right? But, if we can look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth, we would caution leadership to stay away from generic and thoughtless clutter. Instead, try to curate items that align with company branding and values. If your company works in the green energy space, a Citibike membership and nice reusable coffee tumbler may inspire more enthusiasm than a lackluster box of chocolates or wasteful tchotchkes.

Similarly, think about matching the gift to the milestone or occasion being celebrated. Think: a box of functional baby-themed items for a new parent on leave, or a bestselling book on leadership to a newly promoted team leader.

Hearing directly from your supervisor or team leader that you’re doing good work can be incredibly impactful. Personalized positive feedback is reliably motivating, whether it comes informally, like in a Slack message or at the end of a regularly scheduled check-in, or formally, like in a team-wide email shouting out your work. 

 get your due: Save a folder of emails with that positive feedback from managers and coworkers—you can go back and remind yourself of your skills and contributions when you need a confidence boost (or are negotiating a promotion or raise).

If your old ways of highlighting accomplishments aren’t resonating, try shaking things up. Through New Stand’s employee rewards program, managers and org leaders can distribute points and choose other fun, low-lift ways for individuals to earn them (via our proprietary app). Team members can then use earned points as purchase credits at retail points like their in-office New Stand market. Sleek new notebook? Yes, please!

Besides top-down rewards, shouts from your coworkers can often be the most validating, so don’t sleep on facilitating peer-to-peer kudos, as well. In a similar spirit, carve out moments of communal praise; shared acknowledgement often reverberates more profoundly than a single pat on the back. If you’ve ever been part of a curated team experience or special dinner out together, you know that celebrating teamwork with a group can be one of the most memorable ways to feel valued. 

Employee Recognition Ideas for Teams That Do the Most

You’ve definitely heard of “quiet quitting” over the past month or so. From TikTok’s For You page to LinkedIn debates to news takes, the term has taken the 

. But what does all of it really come down to? We’ve sifted through the ongoing conversation to pinpoint what you actually need to know about quiet quitting. The term might already feel exhausting, but there’s a good chance it’s affecting your workplace (sorry!).

50% of the US workforce is quiet quitting.

 defines quiet quitting as “people who do the minimum required and are psychologically detached from their job.” According to their studies, more than half of employees fit into this category. Can you even really call it a new trend if so many people are already doing it?

The antidote might lie with bosses, not employees.

: “Quiet quitting is usually less about an employee’s willingness to work harder and more creatively, and more about a manager’s ability to build a relationship with their employees where they are not counting the minutes until quitting time.”

Social connections at work are the key to engagement.

One way to encourage employees to go the extra mile at work is to 

 like office layout and mentorship. When employees have social connections with their coworkers, they’re more likely to identify with the organization and, in turn, go above and beyond.

Maybe this is all a big deal over nothing…

 from Microsoft brought to light another alliterative trend: productivity paranoia. In simple terms, employees themselves feel productive, but business leaders don’t have confidence in their teams’ productivity. It seems like there’s a gap between how much work is actually getting done and the perceptions around that work. Similarly, quiet quitting may just be a case of mismatched expectations and realities.

Some say quiet quitting is actually just “meeting expectations.”

, “[Quiet quitting] is not ‘doing less.’ It is doing exactly what you are paid to do, not taking on additional responsibilities, not working past your allotted hours, and being paid to do so.” So is there anything wrong with it? If employers are looking for workers to do more, they may need to examine factors in their control: roles and responsibilities, incentives, and workplace wellbeing. Otherwise, everyone doing what they’re supposed to doesn’t sound so scary, does it?

Yes, the Quiet Quitting Trend Matters

 oversees some of the industry’s best. A longtime video and branded content producer in the media world, Grossman immersed herself in podcasts by producing a widely circulated episode of The Cut’s podcast titled “

”, about her personal experience coming to terms with the body changes many of us went through during the pandemic. By detailing her own story as well as interviewing others with uncommon vulnerability, Gaby connected with the medium, and rose up the ranks at Vox Media (of which 

But career progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and Gaby has worked hard to maintain a flourishing professional life without sacrificing social and personal outlets. A stint in LA during the pandemic while still working on EST meant she was waking up at 6 am and answering emails still bleary-eyed from sleep. That was unsustainable, and now back in New York Gaby makes sure she creates key moments of separation between regular life and work, especially when both are centered in her Brooklyn apartment. (Vox has a flexible, WFH or hybrid policy.)

We caught up over the phone to discuss the difference between taking a trip and taking a true vacation, the little rituals that separate your home as a workspace from a place of relaxation, and why it’s crucial to have friends outside your profession.

It’s good to say, “Okay, the workday is done. It’s time to feel different, it’s time to look different."

Shift out of work mode with a physical change: 

I live in a one-bedroom apartment and my desk is my couch is my TV watching is my delivery-eating. It’s all one space, so I try and immediately put my laptop away. Even if something comes up and I have to do something later, or for pleasure I want to look at something, it just needs to go away the minute I’m done working. That’s a little bit of a separation, trying to get everything work-related out of the space.

It’s important to not be stagnant and sitting in one place at home. I try to punctuate the day with a walk or going out to do something or even a shower if I’ve been sitting in sweats all day working. It’s good to say, “Okay, the workday is done. It’s time to feel different, it’s time to look different.” Any concrete action to feel a separation between working at home and living and chilling at home is super important for me.

If your work is something you love, make sure to keep your fandom alive: 

I work in podcasts that are a little bit more utilitarian, they have a purpose. In my private life, I listen to podcasts that are not like that at all. The two I listen to the most are Seek Treatment with Cat Cohen and Pat Reagan and Doughboys with Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. Those are both silly, hilarious, like, crack-up in the middle of the subway type shows that just feel like hanging out with your friends. When I’m listening for work [it’s] to hear about the competitive landscape; that’s not really what I’m listening to for pleasure. It’s completely different in my head.

Maintain balance with relationships outside your industry bubble: 

I definitely have friends in a bunch of different fields…I’m drawn to people who have similar careers in the sense that they’re very ambitious and passionate about what they do and then I have friends from college and from working in media where it’s truly very similar fields. Socially, if someone has a problem they want to work through or they need to vent about something that happened then it comes up, but everyone’s schedules are so busy and it’s hard to get time together, so once you get a whole big crew together, we try to kinda leave work at the door.

With friends [in other fields], it’s nice because they’re not gonna know the intricacies of your workplace or your industry, but when you explain [a situation] to them, they add a layer of objectivity and help you zoom out and realize, “Oh, maybe this frustration isn’t as big of a deal as it felt like,” or, “Maybe there’s a more simple solution that it took my friend to figure out because her head is not so deep in the weeds like mine is.”

When things feel stressful, back up and breathe: 

I try to remember a catchphrase that a friend taught me, which is, “It’s PR, not the ER,” meaning ultimately there is no huge life or death emergency. Everything will be okay. If you’re someone who’s ambitious and tends to be hard on yourself and you’re sitting alone in your own echochamber, it feels more intense than it is. I try to talk to someone who can help me get some perspective on the situation and try to remember to breathe.

Take advantage of opportunities to get out and enjoy life—without work at the back of your mind:

I’m a big concert person. This summer I spent a lot of time at Brooklyn Mirage and Elsewhere. I really like Brooklyn Steel as well. Going to a concert is such a fun experience even on a weeknight, because I’m truly in it. I’m not looking at my phone, I’m not thinking about other things. One of the coolest things about living in New York is that you have so much access. Every band comes to New York, every musical artist. Everyone you want to see is there and there's no shortage of opportunities, whether it’s big world-class acts you’ve been dying to see or smaller things, like random, my-friend-has-an-extra-ticket-type events.

Taking a break and going on a trip is something I really enjoy. And traveling for other people’s weddings and family events is not vacation, so when you travel, make some time for yourself along the way. That's been a big self-preservation piece for me. So many people had COVID catch-up weddings this year and it’s so much fun, but if you’re doing activities the entire time and celebrating other people and overconsuming alcohol, having a good time, you’re gonna come home really tired. Tacking on an extra day for recovery has been huge for me.

New York Mag’s Podcast Manager on Perspective and Pleasure 

If you could visualize what makes up your job satisfaction as one big fall-inspired, metaphorical pumpkin pie, what would all the slices represent? What you 

do day-to-day might be a large one; the impact your job has in the world could be another; maybe your salary package is a big slice of the pie (but not as big as you’d like!). Another important piece is the overall experience of being an employee in the workplace—the connections made with coworkers, leadership’s investment in your professional and personal development, and job perks and amenities.

But what if that overall workplace experience needs a refresh? We hit inboxes, office elevators, Slack channels, and the awkward five minutes before everyone joins a Zoom meeting to round up some key signs that your workplace experience could use a boost.

1. Your Glassdoor reviews aren’t even close to five stars

When issues arise in your workplace, do employees feel like there are accessible avenues to address them? Cultivating a proactive environment around resolving conflicts is critical to employee wellbeing. Feeling like your concerns are being 

 means that, as a worker, you’re (probably) less likely to express frustration with company values, managers, and culture online. If your company’s Glassdoor reviews are reading like a high school burn book, the writing’s on the virtual wall.

 (and even your office not-really-BFFs) is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to your overall work experience. If your coworkers aren’t even turning up to take advantage of the two-for-one company sponsored margaritas, it’s a good indication that people might be feeling disconnected and unengaged. 

 that social connections are one of the greatest predictors of happiness and reduced stress—so cultivating a work environment where 

Having your hard work acknowledged goes a long way toward making any employee’s work experience meaningful.

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